Utilizing the modern technology processes, the food processing industry has recently delivered varied attractive and marketable flavors of PORRIDGE. Every individual caught betwixt the busy daily schedule and a much desirable weekend, aspires to have a balanced diet. Promising to maintain your sensible weight and glow with health from the inside, porridge proves to rule the roost. This is the dish being traditionally associated with Scotland. Porridge has ever remained children's favorite, with a famous poem "Peas Porridge Hot" exclusively dedicated to this healthy dish.

Being addressed as the "breakfast-time treat" by some, porridge brings back the "bad memories" of being force-fed a sticky, milky mess for others. It seems as if this is the ultimate food that divides people on an equal ratio. But believe it, there's nothing better than this hot bowl stuff on a frosty morning. It will not just boost you up for the hours ahead, but also make you feel full for a longer period. Assuring to be a great stabilizer for increasing blood sugar levels, the dish also contains essential fatty acids, as well as more fibres than many other cereal grains. Furthermore, it happens to be a great source of vitamins E, B1 and B2. Keeping a tab on the recent market surveys, one can be assured that the "superfood" has come back into action.

History of Porridge

The origin of making and eating porridge is mentioned in the "Vinaya" texts. As per the "Four Part Vinaya", Lord Buddha explained the five benefits of taking porridge, shortly before his attainment of Nirvana. This clearly reflects the power of this food. The five benefits of porridge have been addressed as Five Endurances (Wuchang): Overnight digestion, reduced flatulence, the quenching of thirst, the suppression of hunger and reduced constipation. Moving ahead of the bliss of Buddhist meditation, this food received immense popularity in the cold countries of Europe like Scotland. Over there, the dish was regularly consumed by habitants to keep their bodies warm during the long winter months. They made it from oats stewed with either milk or water, and served with salt or sugar. The dish received different names in varied regions of Scotland viz. 'lite' leetch-yuh Gaelic & 'milgruel' in Shetland.

It is also said that the origin of porridge dates back to the Neolithic times, the period when farmers cultivated oats and other crops for survival. During this period, various types of grains were stewed in water to form a thick porridge-like dish. A variety of porridges is found to exist in various cultures. In Africa, the ground provisions like cassava and yam are widely cultivated. The porridges 'pap' made from these tubers are incorporated in most meals.

In the later years, porridge became a popular breakfast treat in various countries. The reason found was that apart from its highly nutritious benefits, porridge was also an easy way to cook grains. There are also references to some types of porridges being fermented. Thus, forming a base for many dishes, both sweet and savoury, porridge was served with meat, stock or fat, as well as with vegetables, fruits, honey and spices.

Varieties of Porridge

Taking care of the present youngsters' obsession with instant food, various companies have launched "Instant Porridge" in various flavors. Some more varieties of porridge, making an outbreak into the market are:

Fruity Porridge: Blackberry, Apple, Raspberry, etc.

Organic Porridge

Mung Bean Porridge (Payaru Payasam)

Chinese Rice Porridge

Chocolate Banana Oatmeal Porridge

Cornmeal Porridge

Jelly-Cheese Porridge and much more to your delight.

Ways of Cooking Porridge- The Oatmeal

Giving you a real blast in the morning, this processed food item when served with toasted seeds and goji berries, promises 2000 times more antioxidants than oranges and 500 times more of vitamin C. For those who don't like porridge with oats, a dash of low fat yogurt will definitely solve the complex issue for weight watchers. Some say, porridge should only be stirred in a clockwise direction using the right hand so that you don't evoke the 'Devil'. The Scottish way of preparing the perfect bowl of porridge is cooking it with honey and whisky.

Being exclusively a dish of taste, the porridge available in instant varieties is made from fine oats. Due to this, the dish tends to have an almost powder-like consistency. However, if you wish to have your porridge the traditional way, then thick & whole oat flakes give you a distinctive flavor and a substantial start to the day. Even the porridge purists are in complete favor of the traditional pan method, which involves stirring the oats with a wooden 'spurtle'.

Present Scenario

In the contemporary techno-laden era, more and more people live in the cities and are far away from the production areas of food. In majority of the nuclear families, both husband and wife are working, and therefore there is little time for the preparation of food based on fresh ingredients. The food industry offers processed food products including porridge that fulfill many different needs and can be heated up in the microwave oven within a few minutes. Apart from the benefits of toxin removal & preservation, the processed foods & snacks market increases seasonal availability of many foods, enabling transportation of delicate perishable foods across long distances. Without them, long voyages would not be possible and above all, the military campaigns would be significantly more difficult and costly to execute.